Overholt appointed Executive Director of Financial Services

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Mount Vernon Nazarene University President Dr. Carson Castleman is pleased to announce the appointment of Brooke Overholt as the Executive Director of Financial Services, effective March 4, 2024.

Both an alumna and a former employee of MVNU, Overholt returns to her alma mater with extensive experience in enrollment and financial advising for Christian universities.

Overholt graduated from MVNU in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In 2013, she returned to MVNU, where she served as a financial aid advisor until mid 2021. From there, she went on to serve as a registration change counselor and later the assistant director of enrollment operations at Indiana Wesleyan University.

“I love MVNU,” said Overholt. “I’ve always felt like it’s home, and I’m glad to be back.”

As the executive director of financial services, Overholt will be in charge of overseeing financial aid for the university, as well as managing student accounts, working with enrollment offices to secure traditional and online enrollment goals, ensuring that MVNU’s financial aid is compliant and up to date with all federal regulations, and to develop pathways to assist traditional and non-traditional students with financial aid.

“I think 8 years as a financial aid advisor working with students and with parents has helped me in knowing customer service, how financial aid works, and working with federal, state, and university aid,” said Overholt. “I love working with students and trying to help them make their educational journey as smooth as possible.”

Much of Overholt’s passion for financial services in Christian higher education, however, stems from her own experiences as a traditional student at MVNU.

“When I came, I was a first-generation student,” explained Overholt. “I didn’t know anything about financial aid. Thankfully, my high school offered financial aid meetings, and so every opportunity that they would talk about financial aid and scholarships, I was attending to get as much information as possible. Some students don’t have anyone to work with them through the process. I think being a first-generation student, and having worked through FAFSA, student loans, and scholarship applications, gives me an advantage in this position. I know those struggles that some students have.”

Overholt recognizes the recent changes made to the FAFSA, including processing delays or mistakes in the new version of FAFSA, have left many students in the dark on the status of their financial aid. She does not want this to have a negative impact on the excitement that surrounds being accepted and making the decision to attend MVNU.

“They said they’re going to release FAFSA in the middle of March, but that could change. I just know everybody’s on the edge of their seats — especially high school seniors who are waiting for award letters to figure out where they want to go to college. This is their first experience with dealing with the FAFSA and it can put a definite damper on them trying to figure out their future. We can help them through the process with open communication and calm everybody’s nerves about what’s going on,” said Overholt.

In returning to MVNU, Overholt’s main desire is to hone in on how to make the financial aid process as effective as possible.

“I’ve worked in this office before, so some of my short-term goals are just reconnecting with people on campus. I’m sure processes have changed in the years I’ve been away, so I want to make sure I’m up to date,” said Overholt. “In the long term, I’m going to look at those processes to see if they’ve been working and, if they haven’t, try to figure out a different process if need be.”

Overholt will report to Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing Johnna Vanover.

“Brooke has served in financial aid for over eight years, and so she has an extensive knowledge in financial aid and student accounts. Most recently, she has also been a leader in her role at Indiana Wesleyan,” said Vanover. “Being an MVNU grad, she also knows MVNU really well. I’m excited for her to come back home and for her to be able to join our team and hit the ground running.”

Overholt lives in Fredericktown, Ohio with her husband, Brent, and their three kids.